


Seven Years and Counting

by Bookworm1063



Series: CO Countdown 2020 [1]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Carry On Countdown (Simon Snow), Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27714056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm1063/pseuds/Bookworm1063
Summary: Eight moments from Simon and Penny's friendship, through their years at Watford and after.
Relationships: Penelope Bunce & Simon Snow
Series: CO Countdown 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2026988
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17
Collections: Carry On Countdown 2020





	Seven Years and Counting

**First Year**

**Penelope**

Simon Snow is sitting by himself at an empty lunch table, picking at a scone and staring off into space.

I drop into the seat beside him and reach over to his plate, breaking a piece off the scone. I pop it into my mouth.

“That’s not terrible,” I say.

Simon looks up at me. “You don’t have to sit here.”

“Of course I do,” I say. “You’re my only friend. Unless you count Agatha Wellbelove, but she’s not as interesting as you.”

“You only think I’m interesting because your mother said I might get you killed.”

“I wouldn’t be here just for that.”

Simon smiles at me. “Okay.”

o-o-o-o-o

**Second Year**

**Simon**

Penny is standing at the front gate, waiting for me.

“Hi, Simon,” she says. “How was your summer?”

“It was alright,” I say. “Yours?”

“Great. My Dad took me on three of his research trips. There’s this dead spot…”

I wasn’t sure Penelope would be waiting for me when I got back for second year. I wasn’t sure she’d still want to be friends after a summer away.

But she’s here.

o-o-o-o-o

**Third Year**

**Penelope**

“No,” I say. “It’s **Up and Away _,_** not **Up and Out _._** You’re going to pluck out somebody’s eyeball.”

“That’s gross, Pen,” Simon says. We’re standing out on the lawn, and Simon has his wand out. We’re being tested on this spell tomorrow.

“That’s what will happen,” I say. It is. My brother did it to my Mum once. She had to magick her eye back in. **“Up and Away!”**

_“ **Up and Away!”**_ The stones Simon is trying to levitate jerk into the air, do a backflip, and plunge back to the ground so fast and hard, they end up half-buried in the dirt.

Simon sighs and chucks his wand to the ground. “There’s no point.”

I pick up the wand and pocket it. Then I pat Simon’s back awkwardly. “You’ll get there, Simon. You just need to practice. You have so much power. Maybe it’s just not…meant for little things like this.”

“You think so?” Simon perks up a bit, and I nod encouragingly.

“Yeah. Want to try again? You do still have to try on the test.” I hand him his wand.

“Thanks, Penny.” Simon takes his wand and points it at the stones. **_“Up and Away!”_**

o-o-o-o-o

**Fourth Year**

**Simon**

“He’s up to something, Penny. I know he is.”

“You say this every year, Simon.” Penny takes another bite of her salad. “Baz is always plotting something. He’ll be plotting something until the day he dies. We’ll deal with it when it comes up.”

I frown and grab another scone from one of the platters. Penny sighs.

“Really, Simon. I promise. If Baz is a threat, we’ll handle it. Until then, focus on your homework. Okay?”

I sigh. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” Penny looks down at the Elocution textbook on her lap. “Do you think this stuff will be on the test? It’s good to know anyway, but I’ll look at it next week if it’s not.”

“Hell if I know.” I stuff another bite of scone in my mouth.

o-o-o-o-o

**Fifth Year**

**Penelope**

“You look great, Simon,” I say. “Agatha will think so, too.”

I don’t quite understand my friends’ sudden desire to date each other, but they seem happy, so I’m happy for them.

“Thanks.” Simon adjusts his tie one last time. It’s his Watford one, paired with one of Premal’s old suits that I dug out for Simon to wear. Agatha’s taking him to some fancy horse show.

“I feel ridiculous,” he mutters. “This is how people like Baz must feel all the time. I hate it.”

I poke my head out the bathroom door, but Baz isn’t in the room. “I don’t know. Maybe he wears jeans at home, or something.”

“Right. Baz in jeans,” Simon says. “If I ever see that, I’ll die of shock. He probably wears those fancy silk suits or something.”

“I don’t think that’s a thing, Simon.”

“Whatever.” Simon studies himself in the mirror. “It’s not bad. Right?”

I smile up at him. “It’s perfect.”

o-o-o-o-o

**Sixth Year**

**Simon**

When the goblin’s knife slices through my side, I barely feel it. I swing the Sword of Mages, and the goblin’s head goes flying across the room. It hits the ground with a thud.

“Simon!” Penny runs to my side. She’s covered in green blood and slime from the cave walls. Her eyes find the sticky red patch, spreading across my stomach. _“Simon!”_

She catches me as I slump to the ground. “Simon Snow, look at me. Right now.” She holds her hand over my side and beings to cast. **_“Get Well Soon! An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away_** —Simon, _please_ tell me you ate an apple this morning.”

Had I? I don’t know. Everything is foggy, and my side is on fire.

“Help!” Penny calls. She’s still casting, murmuring healing spells under her breath.

The Mage runs in from one of the tunnels. “Simon?”

“He’s hurt,” Penelope says. “Help me—”

The Mage kneels at her side, and they both begin to chant. The fog starts to clear from my head as the pain lessens. I look down to see the skin knitting itself back together along my side.

“You saved my life,” I tell Penny.

“Not the first time,” Penny says, reaching for my hand. “Won’t be the last.”

o-o-o-o-o

**Seventh Year**

**Penelope**

“Penelope?”

Simon slides into the chair across from mine. We’re the only ones in the library at this hour. I look up from my homework.

“What is it, Simon?”

“If I needed your help doing something crazy…”

I close my book. “What do you need?”

o-o-o-o-o

**Five Years Later**

**Simon**

“I can’t believe this,” I say. “You’re moving to America. With your Normal boyfriend.”

Penny drops the last duffle bag into the back of her car and turns to face me. Most of her stuff has already been sent to Shep’s place. It’s just a few bags of books, clothes, and Penny herself left here.

“And you’re moving into a flat with your vampire boyfriend. There was a time when that was just as crazy.”

She’s not wrong, but then, Penny rarely is.

“You’re coming over for dinner tonight, right?” I ask. “Baz will never forgive you if you disappear off to America without saying goodbye.”

“Sure,” she says. “And then one of you can drive me to the airport. I can’t bring the car on the plane.”

“Yeah,” I say. I look at Penelope—my best friend. My sister. “I’ll miss you, you know.”

“Don’t make a scene,” she whispers. 

****


End file.
